Dense opaque smoke and irritating fume and gas producing chemicals



Nov. 8, 1932. B. c. eoss 1,886,394 DENSE OPAQUE SMOKE AND IRRITATING FUME AND GAS PRODUCING CHEMICQLS Filed Feb. 24. 1927 Byron 6.608s,

Fat ented Nov. d, 11%32 stares rattler orrrc BYRON C. GOSS, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAKE ERIE CHEMICAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO I DENSE OJPAQ'UE SMOKE AND IRRITATING F'UME AND GAS PRODUCING CEEIWICALS .llpp1ication filed February 24, 1927. Serial No. 170,561.

' This invention relates to smoke and fume producing chemicals, and apparatus therefor, the smoke constituting a dense opaque body of gas or vapor that practically obscures volume of dense vision, and which'may be intimately mixed and associated with a gas or vapor of the irritating tear or lachrymatory gas type, or similar irritating disabling gas or gases which will produce pain, coughing, sneezing, etc, etc.

An object of the invention is to quickly produce a large volume of dense opaque smoke intimately mixed with an intensely irritating gas, which will disable a bandit when attempting to open a safe, or vault, or to enter a room, or commit other criminal act;

A further object of the invention is to provide a mixture of chemicals whiclf will quickly generate a volume of dense opaque smoke and fume;

A further object is to provide a mixture of chemicals which will generate a volume of mixed smoke and fume, including tear gases and similar disabling fumes and gases;

A further object is to provide a mixture of smoke and fume and irritating tear gas producing chemicals with a feagent which also generates a fume on reacting with the chemicals, and which by the chemical reaction also supplies heat to vaporize the mixed chemicals;

A. further object is to provide an apparatus in which the chemicals and reagent may be retained until ignited, and which will serve as a container or vessel in which the reactions may take place;

A further object is to provide an apparatus which will be retained in the loaded condition, and which will be fired automatically upon disturbing a release; a

A. further object is to provide an apparatus to be actuated by an automatic release but which will be controlled by a time clock.

Other objects will appear upon reading the specification.

The invention comprlses means which when fired will quickly produce a large opaque smoke that will so obscure vision: as to render it impossible for that bothsmoke and tear gas are delivered as mixed gases from the container, and collectively produce an intensely irritating and opaque atmosphere in which it is impossible to see, and to remain.

ln the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section of one form of container or device showing fuse mechanism and chemicals;

Fig. 2 shows a top plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a modification of Fig. 1, showing two inner containers;

' Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of'a bouchon,

or firing mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a view of a fuse and cap;

Fig. 6 shows a vertical longitudinal section of an electric device;

Fig. 7 is a plan top view of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a view in elevation of a cartridge containing the chemicals to be inserted in the electric device.

In Fig. 1, an outer casing 1 is provided with a lid 2 which after loading, is preferably sealed with varnish, or wax, or similar material. The lid is'provided with openings 3, which may be threaded, as at 4, or may be provided with a bayonet joint slot, to reccive the lug 5, Fig. 4, on the bouchon 14,

70f the mass of chemicals is placed a tube.

or tubes, 8, 8, which may be of paper, or other fibrous material, or may be a casting of a suitable lachrymatory chemical. lhe tube 8 contains a lower layer 9 of a faststarter above which is a layer of lead foil, 10, or similar fusiblesubstance,.and above the foil is a not space or pocket 11, within which rests the match head 12. The mass of mixed chemicals is covered with a solid layer 13 of a lachrymatory gas producing chemical which seals the contents and holds the tubes 88 in place, the particular chemical 13 used may be similar to that used in the mass of chemicals 6, or it may be different, and may consist of several such chemicals, fused together.

Within the threaded openings 3 are inserted bouchons or firing mechanisms, 14, provided with a tubular stem 15, and a threaded portion 16 to engage the opening 3. The

ouchon 14 may be made of metal, and is provided with a firing pin, or striker, 17, sprin actuated, and which when in use is held bac by an automatic release, not shown. The bouchon 14 is provided with a recess in the upper part, from the walls of which extend lugs 18, leaving a central space 19, Fig. 2, within which is pressed a percussion cap 20. Before inserting the bouchon 14 in the opening 3, a fuse 21, which may be of the Ensign- Bickford type, and provided with a match head 12, or similar ignitable mass, is inserted in the lower end of the tubular opening in the stem 15 until the end of the fuse reaches the central space 19 in the bouchon 14; the bouchon is then inserted in the opening 3 and the percussion cap 20 is inserted in said space 19, and pressed against the upper end of the fuse 21. In Fig. 1, the striker 17 at the right is shown in the cocked position, while at the left it is shown in the fired position. As noted above, both strikers 17 are held cocked by an automatic release, not shown, which fires both together. Two bouchons are shown to insure positive operation, although the device will function with one only.

In some instances, the chemicals used will be solids, and may be mixed and placed in the container, 1, as at 6; in other instances one or more of the fuming chemicals may be a fluid or a soft pasty mass, and may be retained in a suitable inner container, 22, made of thin glass, gelatin, celluloid, wax, or other easily destructible material, which if of glass, may have a scratch as at 23, to facilitate its destruction. There may be more than one such container 22 as shown in Fig. 3, and each may contain a different chemical, which upon volatization will produce an irritating suffocating fuming lachrymatory gas commingled with the dense opaque smok 1 In the electrical modification shown in Fig. 6, a container 30 is provided with a perforated cover 31 and screen 32, and a layer of light-weight paper 43, or of similar material, also a removable bottom 42. An electric match head or fuse 33, is associated with a detonating cap, 34, which is in contact with a quick starting mixture 35, in a destructible casing 40; the latter is in contact with the destructible casing 41 containing chemicals 36, which upon ignition produce the mixed opaque and fuming gases. The casing 41 containing chemicals 36 may or may not also include a receptacle 37 holding a liquid 38, as in Figs. 1 and 3. Upon closing the electric circuit through the wires 39, either automatically .as by a burglar alarm system, or by hand-operated devices, or by any other means, the device will be fired? and destroy the destructible casings, and deliver the generated fuming smoke and gases from the perforated cover 31.

The chemicals used to generate the dense opaque smoke produce considerable heat by the reaction, vaporizing the resulting products which issue in a dense streaming mass of fume which obscures vision and renders it impossible to see to perform any acts. The chemical mixture used to produce an opaque smoke of this kind may contain zinc dust and hexachlorethane, with or without more or less ammonium perchlorate, zinc oxide, ammonium chloride, or calcium carbonate, or a mixture of them. The speed of the reaction may be increased by an increase in the proportion of ammonium perchlorate, or equivalent chemical, or may be decreased by the increase in the quantity of zinc oxide, ammonium chloride, or calcium carbonate used. The proportions used may vary, but im operative combination will be given beow.

In combination with the smoke generating chemicals, Iv have found that the heat liberated by the reaction is sufficient to volatilize a lachrymatory gas producing chemical, or a mixture of such chemicals, with the result that I am able to obtain mixed gases which are densely opaque, and also are intensely irritating, causing lachrymation, coughing, sneezing, etc., etc. The irritating gas producing chemicals may be mixed with the smoke producing chemicals, or may be in part mixed therewith and a greater or less quantity placed in a separate container such as thin glass, wax, etc., etc., and embedded in the mass of the smoke producing chemicals. In this latter case, the heat generated by the chemical reaction will destroy the small container and volatilize the liquid or other chemical contained therein, the vapors or gases produced thereby mixing with the dense smoke and producing a mixed mass of densely opaque fuming irritating gas.

The chemicals producing irritating gases may be solids, liquids, pastes, etc., and may consist of one such chemical, or a suitable mixture of two or more of them. Among solid chemicals suitable for this purpose are chloracetophenone, diphenylamine chlorarsine, capsaiicin, diphenylchlorarsine, bromacetophenone, iodacetophenone, parabromacetophenone, etc. Among liquid chemicals'suitable for this purpose are-ethylbromacetate,

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nsaasea made without departing from the scope of the invention Per cent Henachlorethane about 28 Zinc dust about 22 Ammonium perchlorate about 12 Zinc oxide about 8 Chloracetophenone about 30 As noted above, substitutions or variations may be made, and in the above formula, capsaicin or diphenylaminechlorarsine may be substituted in whole or in part for the chloracetophenone. Where liquids are used in combination with, or as a substitute for the irritating and lachrymatory chemicals, the liquid or liquids are placed in suitable fragile vessels, as shown.

A suitable charge for the device shown in l i ure 1 is as follows:

or the quick starting mixture, indicated as 9 in Figure 1, the composition may be Grams Henachlorethane about 2.4: Zinc dust about 1.9 Zinc onide about 1.0 Ammonium perchlorate about 0.7

lln the electric device, shown in Fig. 6, the quick starting composition, indicated as 35, may be the same as described above, indicated as 9 in Fig. 1. llhe mass of chemicals indicated e536 in Fig. '6 may consist of Percent @hloracetophenone aboutfil) Zinc, dust about 22.4

Hexachlorethane about 27.3 Zinc oxide about 11.9 Ammonium perchlorate about 8.4

or may be the same as used in the container 1, or may consist of a minor variation of either of these formulas.

Upon firing the match electrically in Fig. 6, or by the striker and percussion cap in it ig. 1, the temperature of the quick-starting composition is raised, and a chemical reaction is induced between the zinc and the hexachlorethane, generating considerable heat and forming the dense opaque smoke compounds above described. The quick-starting composition ignites the principal body of the charge inducing a similar chemical reaction, which also forms greater volumes of dense opaque smoke and also volatilizes the irritating lachrymatory gas producing chemicals, whlch gas is generated simultaneously with the smoke and is commingled therewith, the combined smoke and gases being delivered together as a large volume of fuming irritating disabling gases and dense opaque smoke.

lin use, the device shown in Fig. 1 is placed in a safe or vault, and the strikers held cocked by an automatic release, not shown, which is also controlled by a time clock.

Upon the opening of the safe or vault at an improper time, .as by a bandit, the device is The electrical device is connected to a suitable electric alarm system, and is also operated either automatically, or manually.

I claim: 1. A disabling and irritating mixed gas and smoke generating composition comprising a mixture containing from about 12.5

percentto about 30 percent of chloracetophenone, from about 27.3 percent to about 52.5 percent'of henachlorethane, and also containing ammonium perchlorate, zinc dust, and zinc oxide.

2. A disabling and irritating mixed gas and smoke generating chemical composition comprising a mixture containing from about 12.5 percent to about 30 percent chloracetophenone, from'about 27.3 percent to about 52.5 percent of herachlorethane and from about 22 dust.

, 3. A disabling and irritating mixed gas and smoke generating composition comprising a mixture containing from about 12.5 percent to about 30 percent of chloracetophenone, from about 27.3 percent to about 52.5 percent of hexachlorethane, from about A5 percent to about 12 percent of ammonium perchlorate, and also containing zincdust and zinc oxide.

A. A disabling and irritatin mixed gas and smoke generating chemica composition percent to about 341- percent of zinc -fired and the smoke and fume liberated.

comprising a mixture containing from about 12.5 percent to about 30 percent chloracetophenone, from about 27 .3. percent to about 52.5 percent of hexachlorethane, andfrom about 22 percent to about 34 percent of zinc dust, and also containing from about 4.5 percent to about 12 percent of ammonium perchlorate.

5. A disabling and irritating mixed gas and smoke generating chemical composition comprising a mixture containing from about 12.5 percent to about 30 percent chloracetophenone, from about 27.3 percent to about 52.5 percent of hexachlorethane, and from about 22 percent to about 34 percent of zinc dust, andalso containing from about 4.5 percent to about 12 percent of ammonium perchlorate, and also containing from about 8 percent to about 21.5 percent of zinc oxide.

6. A disabling and irritating mixed gas and smoke generating chemical composition comprising a mixture of from about 12.5 percent to about 30 percent of 'at least one of the chemicals in group A and also containing from about 27.3 percent to about 52.5 percent of hexachlorethane, from about 22 percent to about 34 percent of zinc dust, said group A chemicals consisting of chlorecetophenone, diphenylamine-chlorarsine, capsaicin, diphenylchlorarsine, bromacetophenone, iodacetophenone, parabromacetophenone, ethylbromacetate, methylbromacetate, chloracetone, benzylbromide, brombenzalcyanide, ethyliodoacetate, phenylisocyanide,

bromacetone, chloro-methyl-chloro-formate, chloracetotoluene, and phenylcarbiaminechloride.

7. A disabling and irritating mixed gas and smoke generating chemical composition comprising a mixture of from about 12.5

monium perchlorate, and also containing zinc I hereby aflix my signature.

percent to about 30 percent of at least one of the chemicals in group A, and also containing from about 27.3 percent to about 52.5

percent of hexachlorethane, from about 22 percent to about 34 percent of zinc dust, from about 4.5 percent to about 12 percent of ammonium perchlorate, said group A chemicals consisting of chloracetophenone, diphenylamine-chlorarsine, capsaicin, diphenylchlorarsine, bromacetophenone, iodacetophcnone, parabromacetophenone, ethylbromacetate, methylbromacetate, chloracetone, benzylbromide, brombenzalcyanide, ethyliodoacetate, phenylisocyanide, bromacetone, chloro-methyl-chloro-forinate, chloracetotoluene,

and phenylcarbiaminechloride.

8. A disabling and irritating mixed gas and smoke generating chemical composition comprising a mixture of from about 12.5 percent to about 30 percent of at least one of the chemicals in group A, and also containing from about 27.3 percent to about 52.5 percent of hexachlorethane, from about 22 percent to about 34 percent of zinc dust, from about 4.5 percent to about 12 percent of am- BYRON c. eossfi 

